African Samurai

African Samurai PDF Author: Thomas Lockley
Publisher: Harlequin
ISBN: 1488098751
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 518

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Book Description
This biography of the first foreign-born samurai and his journey from Africa to Japan is “a readable, compassionate account of an extraordinary life” (The Washington Post). When Yasuke arrived in Japan in the late 1500s, he had already traveled much of the known world. Kidnapped as a child, he had ended up a servant and bodyguard to the head of the Jesuits in Asia, with whom he traversed India and China learning multiple languages as he went. His arrival in Kyoto, however, literally caused a riot. Most Japanese people had never seen an African man before, and many of them saw him as the embodiment of the black-skinned Buddha. Among those who were drawn to his presence was Lord Nobunaga, head of the most powerful clan in Japan, who made Yasuke a samurai in his court. Soon, he was learning the traditions of Japan’s martial arts and ascending the upper echelons of Japanese society. In the four hundred years since, Yasuke has been known in Japan largely as a legendary, perhaps mythical figure. Now African Samurai presents the never-before-told biography of this unique figure of the sixteenth century, one whose travels between countries and cultures offers a new perspective on race in world history and a vivid portrait of life in medieval Japan. “Fast-paced, action-packed writing. . . . A new and important biography and an incredibly moving study of medieval Japan and solid perspective on its unification. Highly recommended.” —Library Journal (starred review) “Eminently readable. . . . a worthwhile and entertaining work.” —Publishers Weekly “A unique story of a unique man, and yet someone with whom we can all identify.” —Jack Weatherford, New York Times–bestselling author of Genghis Khan

African Samurai

African Samurai PDF Author: Thomas Lockley
Publisher: Harlequin
ISBN: 1488098751
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 518

Get Book Here

Book Description
This biography of the first foreign-born samurai and his journey from Africa to Japan is “a readable, compassionate account of an extraordinary life” (The Washington Post). When Yasuke arrived in Japan in the late 1500s, he had already traveled much of the known world. Kidnapped as a child, he had ended up a servant and bodyguard to the head of the Jesuits in Asia, with whom he traversed India and China learning multiple languages as he went. His arrival in Kyoto, however, literally caused a riot. Most Japanese people had never seen an African man before, and many of them saw him as the embodiment of the black-skinned Buddha. Among those who were drawn to his presence was Lord Nobunaga, head of the most powerful clan in Japan, who made Yasuke a samurai in his court. Soon, he was learning the traditions of Japan’s martial arts and ascending the upper echelons of Japanese society. In the four hundred years since, Yasuke has been known in Japan largely as a legendary, perhaps mythical figure. Now African Samurai presents the never-before-told biography of this unique figure of the sixteenth century, one whose travels between countries and cultures offers a new perspective on race in world history and a vivid portrait of life in medieval Japan. “Fast-paced, action-packed writing. . . . A new and important biography and an incredibly moving study of medieval Japan and solid perspective on its unification. Highly recommended.” —Library Journal (starred review) “Eminently readable. . . . a worthwhile and entertaining work.” —Publishers Weekly “A unique story of a unique man, and yet someone with whom we can all identify.” —Jack Weatherford, New York Times–bestselling author of Genghis Khan

Yasuke (African Samurai)

Yasuke (African Samurai) PDF Author: Jeff Taylor
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 58

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Book Description
Brought to Japan in the 16th century by Portuguese traders, he was the first person of African origin who became an instant celebrity. Rumored to be about 7 feet tall, and possessing the strength of 10 men, he garnered the attention of the famed warlord, Oda Nobunaga. He served his master diligently through many battle victories. He is most famously associated with the title of African Samurai. This is the story of Yasuke. Not much is known about Yasuke. From the historical accounts that are available, we know that, despite his intimidating demeanor, he was a gentle person. This was the first impression Nobunaga had of him when he first saw him surrounded by a large curious crowd in Kyoto. Being taken to immediately, he frequently accompanied the warlord and even dined with him personally which was a rare occurrence at the time. Come and meet the legendary non-Japanese figure in Japanese history. This wonderful book will help you acquire unique insights into Yasuke's life and times. Here's a preview of what you'll discover in this book: Yasuke's origins, his travels and how he ended up in Japan The cultural context in Japan, and how Yasuke was perceived How Yasuke met Nobunaga and deepening of their association How Yasuke became a samurai warrior Adopting the Bushido Code Before and after Nobunaga's death ..... and much more! Nobunaga was captured by his nemesis Akechi Mitsuhide and forced to commit suicide. Yasuke was captured alive but set free after being deemed less than human. It is not really known what happened to Yasuke, thereafter, or how he lived the rest of his life. This amazing book will grant you unparalleled access to the life of the greatest non-Japanese samurai. So, scroll up and click the "Buy now with 1-click" button and get your copy!

Yasuke The Legend of the African Samurai

Yasuke The Legend of the African Samurai PDF Author: Jamal Turner
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 40

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Book Description
Warrior. Bodyguard. Samurai. Legend. His name was Yasuke and he was all of these things. But how did a warrior from Africa find himself serving under one of Japan's most powerful warlords? Find out in this epic tale of honor, loyalty, and duty. If you or your children love swords, samurai, or legendary warriors, you will love the tale of Yasuke! Featuring gorgeous full color illustrations, Yasuke: The Legend of the African Samurai is an all ages adventure perfect for any child or for those simply wanting to learn more about this real, relatively unknown warrior. Buy your copy today!

Yasuke Legend of the African Samurai Coloring Book Edition

Yasuke Legend of the African Samurai Coloring Book Edition PDF Author: Jamal Turner
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 42

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Book Description
Warrior. Bodyguard. Samurai. Legend. His name was Yasuke and he was all of these things. But how did a warrior from Africa find himself serving under one of Japan's most powerful warlords? Find out in this epic tale of honor, loyalty, and duty. If you or your children love swords, samurai, or legendary warriors, you will love the tale of Yasuke! And now you can color the adventure as you read along! Featuring gorgeous detailed illustrations, Yasuke: The Legend of the African Samurai -Coloring Book Edition is an all ages coloring book adventure that lets you own color to the story. Makes the perfect activity for any child or any adult who simply enjoys coloring to relieve stress. Buy your copy today!

The African Samurai

The African Samurai PDF Author: Craig Shreve
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1668002868
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
Set in late 16th-century Africa, India, Portugal, and Japan, The African Samurai is a powerful historical novel based on the true story of Yasuke, Japan’s first foreign-born samurai and the only samurai of African descent—for readers of Esi Edugyan and Lawrence Hill. In 1579, a Portuguese trade ship sails into port at Kuchinotsu, Japan, loaded with European wares and weapons. On board is Father Alessandro Valignano, an Italian priest and Jesuit missionary whose authority in central and east Asia is second only to the pope’s. Beside him is his protector, a large and imposing East African man. Taken from his village as a boy, sold as a slave to Portuguese mercenaries, and forced to fight in wars in India, the young but experienced soldier is haunted by memories of his past. From Kuchinotsu, Father Valignano leads an expedition pushing inland toward the capital city of Kyoto. A riot brings his protector in front of the land’s most powerful warlord, Oda Nobunaga. Nobunaga is preparing a campaign to complete the unification of a nation that’s been torn apart by over one hundred years of civil war. In exchange for permission to build a church, Valignano “gifts” his protector to Nobunaga, and the young East African man is reminded once again that he is less of a human and more of a thing to be traded and sold. After pledging his allegiance to the Japanese warlord, the two men from vastly different worlds develop a trust and respect for one another. The young soldier is granted the role of samurai, a title that has never been given to a foreigner; he is also given a new name: Yasuke. Not all are happy with Yasuke’s ascension. There are whispers that he may soon be given his own fief, his own servants, his own samurai to command. But all of his dreams hinge on his ability to protect his new lord from threats both military and political, and from enemies both without and within. A magnificent reconstruction and moving study of a lost historical figure, The African Samurai is an enthralling narrative about the tensions between the East and the West and the making of modern Japan, from which rises the most unlikely hero.

Samurai Rising

Samurai Rising PDF Author: Pamela S. Turner
Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing
ISBN: 1580895859
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 254

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Book Description
Minamoto Yoshitsune should not have been a samurai. But his story is legend in this real-life saga. This epic warrior tale reads like a novel, but this is the true story of the greatest samurai in Japanese history. When Yoshitsune was just a baby, his father went to war with a rival samurai family—and lost. His father was killed, his mother captured, and his surviving half-brother banished. Yoshitsune was sent away to live in a monastery. Skinny, small, and unskilled in the warrior arts, he nevertheless escaped and learned the ways of the samurai. When the time came for the Minamoto clan to rise up against their enemies, Yoshitsune answered the call. His daring feats and impossible bravery earned him immortality.

The Color Curtain

The Color Curtain PDF Author: Richard Wright
Publisher: Univ. Press of Mississippi
ISBN: 9780878057481
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 250

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Book Description
The expatriate, one of America's greatest black writers, giving a bold assessment of the world's outlook on race, a report of the Bandung Conference of 1955.

The Blacks of Premodern China

The Blacks of Premodern China PDF Author: Don J. Wyatt
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
ISBN: 0812203585
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 208

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Book Description
Premodern Chinese described a great variety of the peoples they encountered as "black." The earliest and most frequent of these encounters were with their Southeast Asian neighbors, specifically the Malayans. But by the midimperial times of the seventh through seventeenth centuries C.E., exposure to peoples from Africa, chiefly slaves arriving from the area of modern Somalia, Kenya, and Tanzania, gradually displaced the original Asian "blacks" in Chinese consciousness. In The Blacks of Premodern China, Don J. Wyatt presents the previously unexamined story of the earliest Chinese encounters with this succession of peoples they have historically regarded as black. A series of maritime expeditions along the East African coastline during the early fifteenth century is by far the best known and most documented episode in the story of China's premodern interaction with African blacks. Just as their Western contemporaries had, the Chinese aboard the ships that made landfall in Africa encountered peoples whom they frequently classified as savages. Yet their perceptions of the blacks they met there differed markedly from those of earlier observers at home in that there was little choice but to regard the peoples encountered as free. The premodern saga of dealings between Chinese and blacks concludes with the arrival in China of Portuguese and Spanish traders and Italian clerics with their black slaves in tow. In Chinese writings of the time, the presence of the slaves of the Europeans becomes known only through sketchy mentions of black bondservants. Nevertheless, Wyatt argues that the story of these late premodern blacks, laboring anonymously in China under their European masters, is but a more familiar extension of the previously untold story of their ancestors who toiled in Chinese servitude perhaps in excess of a millennium earlier.

History of the Samurai

History of the Samurai PDF Author: Jonathan Lopez-Vera
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
ISBN: 1462921345
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 218

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Book Description
A History of the Samurai tells the complete story of Japan's legendary warrior class from beginning to end--an epic tale of intrigue, bloodshed and bravery that is central to an understanding of the Japanese character and of Japanese history. It describes in detail the core Samurai philosophy of Bushido--"the way of the warrior"--a complex code of conduct embracing ideals of honor and loyalty that continues to govern the Japanese way of life today. Historian Jonathan Lopez-Vera offers a compelling look at these enigmatic warriors including: The lives of famous Samurai--Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's greatest swordsman; Tomoe Gozen, the woman who became a Samurai; Tokugawa Ieyasu, the last Shogun; and many more The tragic tale of the 47 Ronin who chose honor over their own lives and were forced to commit ritual suicide after avenging their fallen master The philosophy of Bushido, "the Way of the Warrior," the code of conduct that embraced the ideals of honor and loyalty and governed the Samurai way of living The decline of the Samurai and their transformation from rough, battle-hardened warriors to highly educated philosopher-poets Illustrated with 125 archival prints and photos, the nobility and grandeur of the Samurai is brilliantly showcased in this book. Readers will enjoy immersing themselves in the Samurai's world, as historian Jonathan Lopez-Vera traces the fascinating story of the rise and fall of these enigmatic warriors throughout Japanese history.

Legends of the Samurai

Legends of the Samurai PDF Author: Hiroaki Sato
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN: 1468301373
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 562

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Book Description
This authoritative history of Japan’s elite warrior class separates fact from myth as it chronicles centuries of samurai combat, culture, and legend. In Legends of the Samurai, Hiroaki Sato examines the history of these medieval Japanese warriors, as well as the many long-standing myths that surround them. In doing so, he presents an authentic and revealing picture of these men and their world. Sato’s masterful translations of original samurai tales, laws, dicta, reports, and arguments are accompanied by insightful commentary. With incisive historical research, this volume chronicles the changing ethos of the Japanese warrior from the samurai's historical origins to his rise to political power. A fascinating look at Japanese history as seen through the evolution of the samurai, Legends of the Samurai stands as the ultimate authority on its subject.